A Dream
by Wisdom-woman
Summary: He’d met her on a case in Texas… Oliver sat next to him, whispering to the rest of the team about her high school sweetheart - and his death… She Failed… OC x Guess. Rated for suicidal references.


Title: A Dream

Ratings: T - for suicidal refrences.

Characters/Pairings: OC x Guess

Spoilers: None

Warnings: Character Death (original)

Word Count: 2333 - rough estimate from my computer, it's give or take.

Song: Just A Dream - Carrie Underwood

Author's note: I'm not making any money from this, so that means I'm poor, Reid-less, and I can't get sued. Two crosses means song lyrics, FYI.

Summary: He'd met her on a case in Texas… Oliver sat next to him, whispering to the rest of the team about her high school sweetheart - and his death… She Failed… OC x Guess.

* * *

_He'd met her on a case in Texas. _Texas of all places! But, weeks later she'd shown up at the BAU with a grin on her pale face and a wave to Rossi. He watched as she talked to the older man, wearing her trademark cowboy boots, men's jeans, and a buttoned up shirt… All she was missing was a cowboy hat… Her twin brother was making a racket, earning several giggles from Prentiss. He lowered his head as she walked by, the scent of oranges and chocolate hitting his senses. He grinned as he pretended to be working on some case files.

--

_It'd taken a month for her to get used to it._ For her to get used to the BAU and the way everyone acted and reacted with each other. She'd happily joined in in all the social events. She'd even volunteered to help decorate and host the BAU's Halloween Bash. He'd feel her hazel eyes glance over in his direction every-so-often, making him bite his bottom lip to keep from blushing.

--

_He stared in shock as she chuckled softly._ A pub? The whole team at her brother's bar?

"**It'll be loads o' fun, y'all. We even got a karaoke machine for it!"**

The girls hastily giggled, nodding their heads and smiling. Slowly the rest of the group agreed.

"**Thanks y'all! This'll probably be the best twenty-seventh birthday me and Ollie'll have!"**

Garcia smiled, clapping the Texan on the shoulder as if to tell the woman she wouldn't have another twenty-seventh birthday.

* * *

The Crimson Lion Pub was decorated in it's usual British décor, with some additions to the dance floor and bar. Blue and silver streamers were strewn everywhere and she snickered at her brother. Oliver just grinned, his pale blue eyes dancing with mischief. He glanced over at his direction and gave him a thumbs up, causing her hazel eyes to glance at him.

"**So, ya gonna sing, sis?"**

"**I guess I could. As long as I don't make ears bleed."**

Laughter rang out from the bar as her fellow profilers sat closest to the karaoke stage and bar.

--

_Oliver sat next to him, whispering to the rest of the team about her high school sweetheart - and his death… _He sat stock still, shocked that she'd been hurt that bad and still had the will to smile to the world that ended her boyfriend's life. He glanced at her on the stage, messing around with the acoustics and DJ system. The karaoke machine came next to be added to the array of a jumble on the stage.

"**She loves being up there. Says it keeps her from slowly revertin' back to what she'd been like three years ago."**

Oliver heaved a sigh and glanced at him then to his sister as she grinned at her technological accomplishment.

She stood on the stage, glancing at the screen to make her selection. A flash of shock hit her face and she hastily covered it up as she chose the song.

"**What're you singing?"** JJ called out with a bright smile as Hotch choked on his Diet Coke, Prentiss nudging the man to get him to swallow his drink.

"**Somethin' by Carrie Underwood."**

Oliver gave a small frown as all the patrons turned to look at her. She deftly placed the headset microphone on her auburn curls, taking in deep breaths to shake out any stage nerves as the music began. She slowly closed her eyes.

+"It was two weeks after the day she turned eighteen  
All dressed in white  
Going to the church that night  
She had his box of letters in the passenger seat  
Sixpence in a shoe, something borrowed, something blue"+

She took several gulps of air in between some of the lines as he stared at her, mouth slight agape. He was shocked softly as Penelope moved his jaw close as the Texas girl opened her eyes. She felt a bit flustered as she felt his eyes on her. Her voice was like a lullaby in his ears. He had turned to listen to what Oliver was saying to him and she blinked, hoping he wasn't talking about _**him**_.

+"And when the church doors opened up wide  
She put her veil down  
Trying to hide the tears  
Oh she just couldn't believe it  
She heard trumpets from the military band  
And the flowers fell out of her hand"+

"**He'd been sent over to the Iraqi War… They were thinkin' of marriage, but you could tell that she didn't really love Carter like that."**

"**Not ready for the commitment?" **Rossi asked.

"**Guess."**

Oliver felt her hazel eyes on him and he gave a shrug - a nonverbal statement to her as she gave a soft clearing of her voice, the sound nearly inaudible on the microphone.

+"Baby why'd you leave me?  
Why'd you have to go?  
I was counting on forever, now I'll never know  
I can't even breathe  
It's like I'm looking from a distance  
Standing in the background  
Everybody's saying, he's not coming home now  
This can't be happening to me  
This is just a dream"+

The team stared at Oliver for a moment and then glanced at her, a look of pity thrown her way. She shook the feeling off of her and stepped off the stage and onto the dance floor. Her boots making tapping noises in perfect harmony to the beat of the song. She blinked multiple times, never straying towards her brother and friends - always moving towards the other tables to the beat of the drums.

+"The preacher man said let us bow our heads and pray  
Lord please lift his soul, and heal this hurt  
Then the congregation all stood up and sang the saddest song that she ever heard  
Then they handed her a folded up flag"+

She felt the itch of a sob hit the back of her throat, the tears begging to be let free - to fall aimlessly to the floor. She held the feelings at bay with a smile as she continued on. She could hear her twin's voice in muffled tones as some members of the BAU listened to him and then glanced at her. She felt her eye twitch and finally moved towards them at an ever increasingly slow pace.

+"And she held on to all she had left of him  
Oh, and what could have been  
And then the guns rang one last shot  
And it felt like a bullet in her heart"+

He watched her hidden expressions, elbowing Oliver in the side of the gut to shut him up. The twin turned to face the other man and faltered. A pissed off twin was headed towards them as she sang, eyes downcast into the shadows of her bangs. He could feel the anger, sorrow, and animosity flowing from her - and straight towards her target… Him. Oliver gave a sheepish grin and lowered his gaze, shutting up.

+"Baby why'd you leave me?  
Why'd you have to go?  
I was counting on forever, now I'll never know  
I can't even breathe  
It's like I'm looking from a distance  
Standing in the background  
Everybody's saying, he's not coming home now  
This can't be happening to me  
This is just a dream"+

She felt the pity from the people she'd invited to help celebrate her birthday - but instead it turned into a pity party. She bit her bottom lip and turned her head away from their eyes. She started to sing again, her voice hitching slightly, a sign of an unwanted sob in the tone. She began wishing she would've picked a different song - maybe one by KT Tunstall… Something much more livelier… But it was too late. And his eyes slowly found hers.

+"Oh,  
Baby why'd you leave me?  
Why'd you have to go?  
I was counting on forever, now I'll never know  
Oh, now I'll never know"+

He watched as she stood close to their table, Oliver's head was bent - as if praying. And her arms were outstretched to emphasize a word, the thump of a boot made him jolt slightly. He chanced a glance at the others on their team - whom all now seemed a little bit depressed and guilty for goading her twin into talking. She took in a shaky breath and turned to face them.

+"It's like I'm looking from a distance  
Standing in the background  
Everybody's saying, he's not coming home now  
This can't be happening to me  
This is just a dream  
Oh, this is just a dream  
Just a dream  
Yeah, Yeah"+

* * *

_It had taken weeks for her to speak to Oliver again. _It was almost a month before she had stopped speaking in monosyllables to the team. She wore slightly dark colors in her usual cowgirl attire, her hair had been cut short - and when asked about it she'd shrug, letting him answer **that some Native American tribes cut their hair in mourning**. She refused to say she was in mourning, denied it in all actuality. And when Oliver was asked about it, he would frown, unsure of what was happening.

"**I should apologize."**

"**We all should, Oliver."** Morgan stated, as everyone nodded **"We did damage too."  
**  
She refused to listen, Rossi reach out to grab her wrist. She flinched at the contact and scowled.

"**Y'all gonna pity me some more? Or what?" **

Oliver sighed and attempted to speak, but she cut him off.

"**Don't, 'kay? Just don't. I don't need the sympathy, and I don't need the apology."**

**--**

_Spencer sighed, dressed in all black._ _She'd told him two weeks before that she'd thought about it all the time. Just a few and then peace… He'd been appalled at the fact that she'd though of it. And yet, she'd gone through with it. Oliver had called frantic, claiming she'd tried to do it…_

_--_

"**She failed. Missed a major vein and a major artery or two."**

Hotch nodded his head and glanced into the hospital room. Garcia sat by her side, humming softly and petting her non-IV hand. The scars were everywhere on her arms and upper shoulders. The freshest one had almost cut her vocal cords, and Penelope looked over to him, nodding her head at Reid. He stepped in, almost afraid to make any noise as Garcia got up.

"**She was asking for you, Spencer."**

"**Thanks, Pen."**

The blond nodded her head and left the room as Reid sat down where she'd been only moments ago.

"**Hey."**

"**Hey there."**

Her voice was so weak, her eyes were so dull, and he felt the need, the sudden impulse, to give her a hug and comfort her.

"**I… I told ya… Didn't I? Ugh... Do you - do you wanna know why I didn't want to marry Carter?"**

Spencer blinked, gazing down at her - for the first time since he'd met her, she didn't smell like oranges and chocolate. And she didn't look like the brilliant, enthusiastic Texan he came to know - came to adore, he realized.

"**You don't have to. It'll strain your voice."**

"**Wow."** she'd croaked out, **"No scientific jabberwocky. A-are you sick no-now?"**

He let the small smile slip out as she turned to gaze at him, their eyes locking. Dull hazel glued to worried chocolate.

"**Carter didn't have the spark."**

"**The **_**spark**_**?"**

"**Yeah. He didn't have the right look an' feel…"** she took a gulp of air, salvia working down her parched throat as she refused to acknowledge that talking left her thirsty.

"**No brain, just brawn? Like Morgan?"** Spencer mumbled, causing her to giggle softly.

She gave a small, jerky nod and reached out to touch his black shirt, hand gripping the fabric in an attempt to hold on to her for dear life.

"**I was waiting for someone I could talk to… Y'know, intellectually. No sports or shit."**

Spencer gave a wide eyed look at her and she continued on after pausing to catch her breath.

"**I know, I'm ramblin' - and you can blame the meds - but I was lookin' for someone like you."**

* * *

_Spencer sighed, sitting by her side as she slept peacefully. They said that men were the ones to forget anniversaries, but she defied that unspoken rule. She was the one to forget, and she'd blame his photographic memory.  
_"_**It's 'cause of that elephant brain of yours."  
**__He chuckled softly, running a hand through her messy curls as another round of Mythbusters played on the TV that morning._

"**Spen, it's too loud."** she muttered, groggily, as she sat up in the bed.

She rubbed at her eyes with the heel of her palms and he chuckled softly.

"**Guess what."**

"**What?"** Spencer asked, a bit nervous.

"**I didn't forget our anniversary today."**

She broke into hysterics as he gave a gleeful grin.

"**This must be a dream then, huh?"**

**--**

**'_Dream no small dreams for they have no power to move the hearts of men.' - Johann Wolfgang von Goethe_**

* * *

(Added Author's Note: So, yes, the Texas woman has no name. I didn't feel like naming her. I don't own Just a Dream or Carrie Underwood. Nor do I own the quote. I do own Oliver, the Unnamed Texan, and the pub. Thanks for reading.)


End file.
